Right Here Waiting
by Kitai Matsuru
Summary: 4CH up-Sequel to Destined for Loneliness- Mainly B:L, Leon:OC, and others. 6 months after the war,life is finally settling down.However,a familiar face from the past has returned to try and get his life back.Also,a certain someone has escaped from jail...
1. Jail Break

I would like to state the fact that this is a very VERY short first chapter, and there is a good reason for that…more or less.  This is just how it has to be fore now, that's all.

Anyway, sorry this took so long to get out, but it wasn't…wait…okay, it was my fault.  I'm lazy.

Well, please read and review, and if you haven't read Premonition and Destined for Loneliness, you may be very confused with this fic.

Disclaimer:  Need I say that I don't own Zoids?  Is it not obvious?  I do not own Zoids.

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The sirens sounded throughout the entire base.  Red lights flashed, coloring the blue walls a dark, blackish purple.  People were running down the halls, each dressed in a navy blue uniform.  They were ZBC officers, and they were frantically searching for something.

"Where's the breach?" questioned one officer to another.

"In the A sector," said the other.  They both sprinted to the A sector of the base that doubled as a prison.  They came to an open cell door and peered inside.  A guard ran by and was stopped by the two officials.

"Tell me," began the first.  "Who was in this cell?"

"Prisoner one five nine eight, Toran Lohan," stated the guard.  Both officers went into a state of shock.

"We have to find him now!" shouted the second officer as the three of them sprinted down the halls.

The sirens were blaring outside the building.  A dark figure, clad in a black uniform, was sneaking around outside.  Search lights were everywhere, but he timed each one with precision, managing to make it out of the way each time.  He got to the high concrete wall surrounding the complex.  He quickly scaled it, something that not many men could do.  He took one last look at the complex, a smirk on his face.

"This was too easy," he stated before jumping down to the other side.

******

A pair of eye lids fluttered open after what felt like years of rest and not being used.  Everything around him was blue and unfocused.  He couldn't feel any of his limbs.  He was numb.  He tried turning his head but was instantly met with pain.  It felt like he hadn't moved in years.

"At last," said a quiet voice.  The man focused his attention forward and saw a man standing near him.  It was like looking through a plate of glass.  "You're finally awake.  We were beginning to wonder when you'd come around."  The man didn't respond.  He couldn't.  There was something over his mouth which also covered his nose.  He looked down a little and noticed that the device was attached to a cord, which was connected to something outside of his small area.  Wait…outside?  He used his eyes to look around a little more.  Even though his sight was limited, he was able to understand why everything was so blurry.  He was inside something, the blue stuff being a liquid that was around him.  He was suspended inside of it.  Something about this scared him, and he tried to move but was once again met with pain.  How long had it been?  When was the last time he had been outside?  How had this happened to him?  He couldn't focus right now.  Nothing was making sense.  His memories were jumbled from the years of suspension he had been in.

"What is going on?" asked a new voice.  Another man entered the room.  Both men were dressed in white lab coats.  The first one turned to the new one.

"He's finally awake," stated the first.  "After over a hundred years, he's finally awake."

"That's great.  Now we can begin the testing."  Testing?  The man in the tube didn't like the sound of the word.  He wasn't about to let these men test things on him.  All he wanted was out, and he would find a way to do it.  He just had to wait for the perfect opportunity.

******

Night fell and the man in the tube was still waiting for the right opportunity.  Of course, he wasn't sure _how_ he was going to get out.  His muscles no longer hurt and he was able to move around a little.  He needed to find a way, but he most likely wouldn't be able to break out.  The glass was probably very thick.  _How am I supposed to escape?_  He came up with over fifty ideas, but none of them would work.

Suddenly, the sirens sounded throughout the room.  Lights began to flash, snapping the man to attention.  He looked around, unsure about what was going on.  Suddenly, a beeping sound echoed in his ears as the water began draining from the tube.  The cords automatically detached and the tube opened.  Despite the fact that he was confused beyond reason, he stepped out of it and nearly fell.  He regained his balance and began to walk through the room.  He wasn't sure where he was going, but he knew he wanted to get out.  He needed to escape.  Testing wasn't something he wanted to be used for.

He made it into a long hallway, but his legs were beginning to fail him.  He hadn't used them in so long, and his clothing wasn't helping his mobility.  The black pants and blue shirt were worn with time and currently drenched in the blue liquid.  He didn't care about anything right now, however.  He didn't care how his tube had been opened or who had sounded the alarms.  After only a few more steps, he collapsed to the ground, panting.  He was so tired.  A shadow soon fell over him and he glanced up, his vision blurring.

"Pathetic," said the man before him.  "I can't believe you ended up here, but it's over now.  After all…no agent belongs in a place like this."  And with that, the escapee's eyes closed.  

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See?  It's short, but if I get a nice review, I will make the next chapter longer.  Scouts honor (though I've never been a scout).

I promise, k?

I gotta get going!

Ja ne!


	2. Unexpected Guest

So So So Sorry!  I didn't mean to take this long.  I was looking at how long it's been, and it's been too long.  I'm really sorry about making you guys wait.  I've just been a little busy lately.  That's all.  I also haven't been motivated to write much of my fanfics.  I'm focusing a lot on my original stories lately, cause people are really really pushing me to write more of them.  I'm currently doing a third one.

I have to use something else for a break, since the stars won't appear anymore.  So, I made it look like railroad tracks.

Disclaimer:  Anyway, you know the routine, right?  I don't own zoids.  Happy now?

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It was a beautiful day with the sun high in the bright blue sky.  Puffy white clouds floated aimlessly, taking pleasure in the slow, uneventful day.  It was a day for relaxing, for taking the time to smell the flowers.  It was the perfect day for zoid warriors to take a break from their rather busy and somewhat routine lives.

"Hurry up!" shouted Naomi Fluegel as she stood atop a small hill.  Next to her was Brad Hunter, a smile on his face as he watched the people below them.  They were all walking, taking their time to make it up and over the hill.  There were eleven of them currently.  Some were taking longer to make it up the hill than others.  Doctor Toros reached the top next, followed by Jamie, who had gotten stuck carrying the large picnic basket they had brought with.

Ever since the war ended, the Blitz and Fluegel teams had been getting together at least twice a week, schedules permitting.  The Fire Star team did their best to make it out as well.  Usually none of them had a problem with the get together times.  Everyone was usually there.  All of them had gotten to be close friends.  It was hard not to be after all they had gone through within the past few years.

The Fire Star team walked up the hill, smiles on their faces.  Mattei was talking to Meiyuu, who began to laugh.  Rick just smiled sheepishly, seeming a little embarrassed about something.  It didn't seem like anything had changed amongst them.  Rick and Meiyuu were still engaged, and both were as happy as ever.

Following them were Leon and Risai, who walked normally, smiling and talking.  They were the only couple out of the group that wasn't engaged, but it only made sense.  They had only been together since the war.

Leena and Bit were probably taking the longest to get up the hill, even though they were trying to race each other to the top.  Every time one of them would advance, the other would pull them down to the ground and run ahead.  It was proving to get them nowhere fast.

After what felt like forever, everyone had reached the top of the hill.  They looked out at the landscape beneath them.  They were walking through a beautiful plain of grass and flowers.  There were a few brilliant trees standing amongst the mass of grass.  They'd probably pick one of those to sit under, needing the shade from the sun.  Everyone began making their way down, going carefully so as not to fall.  Bit nearly lost his footing but quickly regained it.

"Be careful Bit," said Rick with a smile on his face.  "You wouldn't want to trip and fall now, would you?"  Before Bit could respond, he was knocked over by the red headed boy.  Everyone proceeded to laugh as Bit rolled down the hill.  Meiyuu looked to Leena who simply nodded, a smirk upon their faces.  They both got the message.  Both of them walked behind Rick and shoved him forward.  He began rolling down the hill as well, and they all just laughed harder.

When both boys ended up at the bottom of the hill, Bit was glaring at Rick who was glaring at Leena and Meiyuu.  Both girls just smiled innocently, trying to contain their laughter.  Yeah, some things never changed.

As they all walked over to one of the large trees, the girls began to set up for a picnic.  They laid out the blanket, took out the food, and got everything placed where they wanted it.  The guys just lounged around and watched.  There wasn't anything else to really do.  This was a day for relaxing.  It was a day where none of them had a battle to go to.

Now that it was all set up, it was just a matter of waiting.  After all, there were two very important people that were missing.

"Where are Taban and Miharu?" questioned Mattei as he came over and sat by his future sister-in-law.

"They had to go see General Jordan about something," said Risai as she sat down.  "They should be here soon."  As if on cue, two figures appeared on the hill.

"Hey!" called out Taban as he waved to them.  He and Miharu began to walk down the hill.  "I hope we're not too late, since I see that Bit is already stuffing his face."  Everyone looked to Bit, who was indeed stuffing his face.  He had a sandwich in one hand and a bag of chips in the other, not to mention the fact that his mouth was full.  Leena snatched the bag of chips away from him, earning her a mock glare from her fiancée.

Taban and Miharu came over and sat down on the red and white checkered picnic blanket.  Now that they were no longer agents, they were engaged.  It made sense, since they had been together for longer than any couple.  The rules had been the only thing keeping them from making it an official relationship.

They all sat in silence for a while as they began to eat, but Risai couldn't help but ask.  She wanted to know where they had gone and what the general had said.

"Why did you go to see Charles?" she asked them.  Taban and Miharu both stopped eating, looking to each other before turning back to Risai.  Taban sighed as he set his food down.  He really didn't want to rain on their parade, but this kind of news couldn't be kept from any of them.

"You know the rumors?" he began.  "The ones about someone escaping from prison?"  They all nodded, waiting for him to continue.  "Well, we went to check up on that."

"And?" questioned Brad as he quirked an eyebrow.

"The rumors are true," said Miharu as she lowered her head.  "And the man who escaped was Toran."  Those who had been eating nearly choked on their food.  Everyone's face paled as that name fell from Miharu's lips.  They all went silent, letting the information sink in.

"You're serious?" asked Leena, the horrors from that fateful year playing over in her head.  Toran had put them through hell, and now he was back.

"No one knows where he is right now," began Taban.  "If anyone of us sees him, just run.  We're not going to get involved with him again if we don't have to."

"But we took him out last time," said Bit.  "We can do it again."

"You're forgetting something," said Miharu.  "We were agents back then.  We're not quite as strong as we once were.  Toran is still the same.  He's still an agent, and a powerful one at that.  If he gets a hold of the Rector, there's no telling what may happen."

"He'll probably search us out," said Taban as he crossed his arms, an all knowing look upon his face.

"Well, this is a cheery conversation," noted Naomi as she picked up a sandwich.

"Can we please just not think about it right now," said Risai.  "We're supposed to be relaxing.  Once we know more about what he's doing, we'll figure something out."  They all nodded in agreement and went back to eating.

"So Rick," began Leena, looking over at the redhead.  "We saw your battle yesterday."  Rick nearly choked on his sandwich.  There was a sheepish and very embarrassed look upon his face.

"Could we please not talk about that either?" he begged.  Too bad.  It didn't work.

"No way!" shouted Leena.  "It was hilarious!"

"What happened?" questioned Leon as he looked over at the nervous redhead.

"First off, we lost," said Mattei.  "Meiyuu was taken out and then I was taken out, and Rick was the only one left.  However…"  Mattei began to laugh as he thought back to about what had happened.  "Rick froze his own system.  The enemy didn't even have to shoot him!"

"How'd you manage that?" questioned Taban.

"Well," began Meiyuu.  "This idiot decided to fix his zoid after it had been broken into many pieces.  He apparently didn't set the guns up right, because when he fired one, it shot back at him."  They all began snickering.  "He completely demolished the gun and put a huge hole in his zoid.

"Shut up!" yelled Rick.  "It's not that big of a deal!"  His outburst didn't stop their laughter.

"That sounds kind of like Bit back when we first started," pointed out Jamie.

"Yeah…" said Bit, "whoa, wait, what!?  I never did that."

"No, but back then, you couldn't aim a gun," pointed out Leena.  "During that battle with Naomi, you couldn't even hit her when she was standing still."

"Hey, we won that battle!" he defended.

"By fluke," stated Leena.  By now they were in each others' face.  Yeah, some things just never changed.

Later in the afternoon, everyone had returned to their bases.  Currently at the Fluegel base, Risai was the only one home.  Taban and Miharu had gone out to find information on Toran.  Brad and Naomi had gone out simply because, and Leon had a few errands to run.  Risai had decided to stay behind at the base.

Life had been good recently.  For the past six months, everything was going perfectly.  Not to mention that there were weddings that needed planning.  They had decided to have all of the weddings back to back, separated by about two to three week periods.  Taban and Miharu were going to have their first, and if everything went according to plan, it would happen in about three months.  Then Brad and Naomi would have theirs.  After that would be Rick and Meiyuu, and then Bit and Leena.  The weddings would be so beautiful.  It was stressful to have to wait so long.

Risai sat down on the couch, looking around the place she now called home.  It reminded her of the way she had once felt at her apartment back when she had lived with Taban.  They had spent a lot of time there.  That was before the first war, the one that had changed her life.  There were still times where she wondered what could have been.  Maybe if things had turned out differently…

She shook her head.  Everything was fine now.  Life couldn't be better.  She had a great zoid, a wonderful team, the best of friends, and the perfect boyfriend.  Everything was currently right in her world.  Nothing would ever change that.

The doorbell rang, and she hopped to her feet.  She ran across the room to the door.  She wasn't sure who would be coming to visit, since everyone had left only an hour ago.  She slowly turned the doorknob, pulling open the door.

"Hello?" she questioned as she opened the door fully.  When she looked into the face of her guest, her heart stopped.  All the color quickly drained from her face, leaving her a ghostly white.  Her eyes were wide, swimming with emotions as memories flooded her mind.  Things she wanted to forget.  Things she had thought were lost.  It all came back in an unstoppable torrent of deep bewilderment.  She grasped the door, needing it for support.  Her knees were buckling, and she thought that she may faint.  She tried telling herself that this was a dream, a figment of her imagination, but something in the back of her mind disagreed.  She wasn't allowed to go into denial.  Her well trained subconscious wouldn't let her.

"My God…" she whispered as she felt something twist inside her stomach.  Life was about to get really complicated really fast.

The boy in her doorway stood with a smile on his face, his deep blue eyes shining.  They were the same eyes she had once seen in her nightmares…the same eyes she had once gotten lost in.  One inaudible word escaped her mouth as she desperately kept herself out of the darkness of unconsciousness.

"…Rainer."

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Well, I'm sure a few people saw that coming, ne?  Things are about to get complicated…

Anyway, I will again apologize for not keeping a promise.  I've just been so caught up in everything else lately.

Well, I hope this was good for you.  I'll put up more when I get it written.  Summer is coming up, and it may be easier for me to write then.  Or it may get harder…I don't know yet.

Anyway, I'll see ya later!

Bye!


	3. Ghost from the Past

I'm so sorry for not updating sooner than this, but hey…at least I'm updating. Thank you to those who reviewed. I love reading what people thing, and I like all the positive feedback I get. It really makes my day, ya know, since there aren't a lot of people out there who tell me stuff about my writing. (some of my friends said they wanted to read one of my original stories, and even though I gave them copies, they have yet to start…it's been a month…sigh) Well enough about that. Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate it. Maybe your turkey taste good. Now onward!

Disclaimer: I do not own zoids, but I do own my agents. I love them.

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Risai backed away from her doorway, moving rather unsteadily and a bit slowly. Her eyes were unable to leave the face of the boy who stood in her doorway…the face of Rainer. Was he really there, or was this some kind of figment of her imagination? How could he be there? It wasn't possible…was it?

"Hey Risai," he greeted, stepping into the base, a smile on his face. She just backed up a bit further, unsure of just how to react. Rainer was dead. He wasn't supposed to be here. There was just no logical way for him to be standing there. This had to be a dream or something. She probably fell asleep and was dreaming this up. She had to be. This was just too illogical to be happening to her.

"Y-you're…not really here…are you?" she asked him, backing up every time he took a step towards her.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, sounding just a bit confused.

"Rainer…it's you, right?" He just smiled warmly, advancing a few more steps.

"Of course it's me." He stopped right in front of her, looking down into her cerulean eyes. "It's been a long time, Risai." The way he spoke her name was so familiar. His voice was something she had longed to hear, something she had only been able to dream about. She loved hearing him speak her name like that, in his warm, entrancing voice…however…that was in the past. Things had changed now.

"But how…?" she began to ask, but before she could finish, he embraced her, pulling her scared, trembling body against his. He just sighed deeply as he held her, resting his head against hers. It really had been too long. He had forgotten what this felt like. Just how long had he been asleep again? The men at that lab had said that it had nearly been a hundred years, or something like that. Anyway, it had been a really long time. However, now that he was back, he was hoping to pick up where he had left off. However, things were different nowadays. Everything had changed.

"I'm glad you're still alive," he told her honestly. "It really has been too long." Risai suddenly felt a little guilty. She really didn't want to burst his bubble, but things were different now. Sooner or later, she would have to let him down…but still, was this really Rainer?

"I think…I need to sit down for a second," she said, pulling out of his embrace. She took a seat on the couch, taking a moment to catch her breath. She still couldn't calm her scared, frantic pulse. It wasn't everyday a ghost from your past showed up at your doorstep.

"How?" she finally asked him, once again meeting his piercing blue eyes. "How can you…still be alive? I watched you die…I was there."

"I didn't die, per say," he began. "I collapsed, yes, but I wasn't dead."

"But when I went back…there was a grave site." Rainer just scowled a bit at that. He ran a shaky hand through his messy sapphire hair.

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly sure what that's about. The next thing I remember is waking up in some kind of tube in a laboratory. I wasn't sure how long I'd been there, but I managed to get away. If you have the time…can you tell me what happened?" Risai just nodded, still feeling a little nervous about this.

"Okay, let's see…" She began telling him about the war, about what had happened after he died. She mentioned some of their battles, some of their missions, and she mentioned how Toran and Rose had disappeared. She also mentioned what had happened to her, but she kept out the parts about Rose and Toran becoming leaders for the Backdraft. After all, the agent project had always been a touchy subject for Rainer, especially since nearly fifty people had died because of it. The last thing he needed to know was that that project had nearly gotten even more people killed. She told him how the Gordon family had become the leaders of the ZBC after his death. Rainer had once been the proud, dedicated owner of the newly formed Zoid Battle Commission. His father had been the initial creator, but after his sad death, everything had gone downhill. Rainer had become its leader at the young age of nineteen, and up until his supposed death, he had done a great job.

She began telling him about some of the other things that had happened. She explained how she had been registered under the Backdraft, how she had been brainwashed, and how she owed her life to a rather small ground of people. She had so much to tell him. They had about a hundred years to catch up on, and Rainer seemed to want every detail. She'd give him everything, and then she'd do her best to explain what her life was like now. It would be hard on him, she knew it. After all…he and Toran were the only agents left.

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"Any luck?" asked Taban over his cell phone, hoping for a positive report.

"Nothing," responded Miharu. "No one seems to know anything. It's like he just disappeared."

"What about the ZBC?"

"They have absolutely no clue. Charles is looking into it, but so far, he's found nothing." Taban just sighed a bit, realizing that they were getting nowhere fast. They had to find at least some information on Toran. Even though they weren't agents anymore, they had an obligation to finish what they started. The world would be better off without agents, and he was the last one alive. They needed to get rid of him somehow, but that seemed impossible. If he managed to get his zoid back, they'd have a serious problem on their hands. They weren't any match for an agent piloting an ultimate X. They'd have to think of something and soon.

"I can try some more places if you want," she said.

"No, that's alright," he said. "Let's just meet back up at the city square, and we'll figure out what to do from there, alright?"

"Yeah, okay," she agreed. "Later."

"Bye." Taban ended his phone call and heaved a deep sigh, shoving his hands into his pockets and continuing on his merry way. He had a lot of ground to cover still. Toran couldn't have just disappeared. There were tons of people out looking for him. He probably had to stay hidden, which meant it'd only be harder to find him. After all, he could no longer roam around in public. He had to be careful where he went and what he did.

"Hey Taban," called a very familiar voice. Taban stopped and turned towards the voice, his eyes finding two very familiar people approaching him.

"Hello Bit, Leena," he greeted. "Out running errands?"

"Not really," answered Leena. "We're just out. The base was getting dull. Jamie was working on his Raynos and dad was playing with his models. They're both so boring sometimes." Taban just laughed a bit at that. Maybe this was what he needed. He'd been so stressed today, what with Toran's escape and all.

"What are you doing out here?" asked Bit. "Shouldn't you guys be preparing for your battle tomorrow?"

"We'll be fine," he answered confidently. "We have more important matters to attend to."

"Like Toran?" asked Leena softly, as if the man's name alone could summon a thunderstorm. Toran had caused her and Bit a lot of grief in the past. It was no wonder she feared him so.

"Yeah," Taban answered just as softly. "We can't seem to find anything out. It's like he just disappeared."

"Relax," said Bit. "You'll find something out, I'm sure of it.

"Wish I had that kind of confidence." Taban just sighed again. "Anyway, I'm gonna meet up with Miharu, and we'll probably head out for an early dinner. Wanna come with?"

"Sure, why not," said Leena cheerfully. Taban just smiled and began heading down the street with Bit and Leena in tow. They needed to just relax for a bit. This whole incident really had him strung up. It was time to take a breather. When they got home again, then they could discuss their plan of action. Right now, however, he just needed a break from all of this. Even though he wasn't an agent anymore, things hadn't gotten any easier. It seemed like they were still needed. Something told him that things were only about to get more complicated.

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After about a half an hour, Risai had filled Rainer in on everything he had missed. She had explained the ending of the war, the beginning of zoid battles, and how everything had started changing for the better. However, she hadn't yet mentioned her new life. She just didn't want to let him down yet. She had to find the right time to do that.

"So…" he began, looking around a bit. "This is your team's base?"

"Yeah," she responded softly. Rainer stood up and began looking around. Sitting on a nearby mantle were some picture frames, so he walked over and started looking at them.

"Could you tell me who these people are?" Risai got up and went over to him, taking a good look at the pictures nearby.

"These people here," she pointed out, "belong to the Blitz team. That's Bit, Leena, Jamie, and Doctor Toros. Brad used to be on their team, but he joined ours about six months ago. That's Naomi Fluegel, the person who originally started this team. We all just kind of joined her. The people next to her are Rick, Meiyuu, and Mattei. They're members of the Fire Star team. And there, standing next to me, Taban, and Miharu, is Leon Toros. He's Leena's brother."

"Okay," said Rainer, doing his best to take this all in. He still felt that there was something she wasn't telling him. She seemed a little nervous, much different from the confident, cocky Risai he had known from the war. Maybe his death had changed her. Maybe the war had changed her. "When was this picture taken?"

"Six months ago…at the end of the war between the ZBC and the Backdraft."

"Well, I suppose I should try to remember them, huh?" He turned to her and smiled. His eyes and that smile could easily melt any girl's insides, and Risai had once been very susceptible to his charms, but that was all in the past. She had moved on. "You know, I never gave up. I kept going…because I wanted to see you again." He moved a bit closer to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You're still just how I remember. You look exactly the same. Nothing's changed." He bent down a bit, attempting to kiss her, but she turned her head away, causing him to stop. "Is something wrong?"

"Rainer…" she began sadly. "You…you died." She turned back to him, her eyes seeming rather sad, as if she pitied him. "I spent a hundred years by myself, afraid and alone. I missed you so much, and I never thought things would ever get better, but…" A small smile crossed her face. "They did. Thanks to those people, thanks to my new family…I was able to get on with my life. I stopped living in the past. I'm sorry Rainer, but things have changed. We can't just pick up where we left off." She suddenly felt incredibly guilty when she saw how disappointed and hurt he looked.

"But how?" he began, confused. "You're an agent, and we made rules, remember? An agent can't be with anyone but another agent."

"Things have changed," she echoed. "Rainer…I'm not an agent anymore."

"Of course you are," he said, releasing her shoulders. "Your eyes are still the same. You're still an agent. You have to be."

"Rainer…take a good look at that picture." Rainer turned towards the mantle again, seeing the pictures there. He saw one that was just of Miharu, Taban, and Risai. He moved closer and took a good long look at it. His eyes suddenly widened. Miharu and Taban no longer had blue eyes.

"But that's…" he began, his voice trembling.

"Six months ago…after the war," she began, "we were given permission to end our term as agents. Rose had built a machine that could change us back, and we all used it."

"H-how could you do this?" he asked, sounding ashamed of her. "I waited for you. Why couldn't you do the same for me?"

"I'm sorry," she said, "but we all thought…we were sure you had died." She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he didn't say anything more. He just stood there, his head down, his cerulean eyes focused solely on the floor. He felt like a complete idiot right now. Why had he even assumed that she'd still be interested in him? It had been over a hundred years. It was only natural that she had moved on. Why had he expected anything different?

"I'm sorry," he began. "I didn't mean to startle you by coming here." He turned around to face her, his eyes still seeming rather sad. "I'm just glad you're doing alright. I'm glad you've managed to make a life for yourself as a zoid warrior. That's what you always wanted, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," she said, a smile gracing her face. "Thanks for understanding."

"Just…tell me something, and be honest, okay?" Risai just nodded and waited patiently for him to continue. He took in a deep breath and looked her straight in the eyes. "Is there someone else?" Risai just blushed a bit and avoided his eyes, feeling nervous. This wasn't something you normally discussed with the guy you used to like. However, Rainer wasn't exactly an ex-boyfriend. They had never actually broken up. He had been her deceased boyfriend, but now just what was he? They probably didn't have a word for this kind of thing. After all, it wasn't everyday that a dead person came back to life.

"I'll take that as a yes," he stated as he turned and began heading for the door. "And don't worry, I won't go into a jealous rage or anything." He turned and gave her a sad smile. "You know I'm not like that. Just be happy, okay?"

"Okay," she said, watching as he opened the door.

"I guess I'll see you around sometime. Goodbye, Risai."

"Bye…" And with that, he left her base, closing the door behind him. Risai instantly slumped down into a nearby chair, her eyes a bit wide still from this whole encounter. What was she supposed to do now? This would definitely complicate things. She couldn't keep this a secret, after all. Taban and Miharu had a right to know, but she already decided that if she did tell anyone, it'd be _only_ them. She didn't need to complicate anyone else's life, and she didn't exactly want to tell Leon. They were still both new to this whole relationship, and they didn't need Rainer complicating that. It's not like she was going to cheat on him or anything, but she knew the situation would make him uncomfortable. She needed to figure this out on her own first and then she'd perhaps tell him. She just had to make sure she told him before he encountered Rainer himself. A relationship was based off of trust, after all, and she didn't need Leon thinking that she didn't trust him enough to tell him things like this. _God, this is so confusing! Now not only do I have Toran to worry about, but now my romantic life could be in trouble. Why do these things keep happening? I have to think of something…but at least I know one thing for sure. I love __Leon__…and that's not going to change, not now…not ever._

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Okay, there ya go. Happy. I hope you are. That was pretty fun to write, actually. I'll try to stop neglecting my fanfiction, okay?

Don't forget to review!

Until the next time, bye!


	4. Encounters

Hi. It's been a while, ne? Actually, it's only been about a month, which is a lot shorter of a time than the last time, right? Anyway, it's my holiday update this time. I do one every year, and it'd feel awkward if I skipped it, so I'm gonna force myself to get into the mood of writing. A good song would help. Too bad I don't have any (suppose I could listen to "Evolution" a few more times. Ayumi never disappoints, and since I can finally sing along with, it's even better. for those who don't listen to J-pop, "Evolution" is a song by Ayumi Hamasaki, and the chorus goes by so fast that it's hard to hear what she's saying. One really must give her props for that song. She doesn't take a single breath during those Chorus sections, and the words are so fast! It took me a long time before I could sing it, and I'm still not completely there)

Anyway, enough about that. It's time to get on with the story.

Disclaimer: Is this even necessary? Isn't it obvious that I don't own Zoids? If I did, then my life would be so much cooler than it is…even though I really do love my life. However, I do own the Agents and the Fire Star team, both of which I'm happy to claim.

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Taban sighed for about the tenth time as he stared down at his food, most of which he hadn't even touched yet. He just wasn't that hungry even though coming here had been his brilliant idea in the first place. He just wasn't in the mood to eat right now. There were too many other things on his mind. He had a lot to deal with, and the biggest problem wasn't even the reappearance of Toran, although that was the main reason as to why he felt so downhearted. The biggest problem wasn't that serious, really, but it was a lot to think about. His whole group of friends, minus his sister and Leon, were engaged. They had four couples who were all getting married relatively soon, and the weddings were about two weeks to a month apart. How were they going to pull that off?

"Taban?" questioned Bit, snapping him from his small stupor. All three of his companions were currently staring at him. They all seemed a bit concerned. "Something wrong?" He forced a smile to cross his lips.

"Nothing," he responded as casually as he could. "Just thinking." They all seemed a bit reluctant to accept his answer but did nonetheless. As they all went back to eating, another sigh escaped his lips, and he turned his attention to the window. There were a lot of people out right now. Most of them seemed to be running errands in this small town, one that wasn't overpopulated by skyscrapers and factories. This was just a nice, quite, slightly old fashioned town.

Just as Taban was about to slip into another of his stupors, something outside caught his eye. A man had just passed by the window, a very familiar man. Taban blinked hard, but when he opened his eyes again, the man was gone. Had he just been seeing things? That was a possibility considering how distressed he was right now, but why would he hallucinate that certain person? He hadn't seen him in over a century. _That couldn't have been…Rainer? I must be going insane! Maybe I need to just go home and get some sleep._

"Taban?" questioned Miharu, noticing the bewildered expression on her fiancé's face. Taban just turned towards her, looking just a bit shocked.

"What?" he asked.

"Are you sure nothing's wrong?" she asked, concern hanging in her voice. Taban just once again flashed a smile.

"I'm sure," he responded. "Just thought I saw something, that's all." This was getting a bit ridiculous. He decided that it was time to stop thinking for a moment and eat something. He was going to call it a day after their early dinner and get to bed right when he got home. He needed a good night's sleep if he was going to keep searching for Toran not to mention help plan four weddings, one being his own. Life was just getting so complicated all of a sudden, and knowing their luck, things would probably get worse.

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Leon heaved a small sigh as he tried to balance the bags he was carrying, praying he wouldn't drop them. He had had to run a few errands, because once again, they were out of food. This had never been that big of a problem before, but now that they had four more people living with them, that was three times the food they usually bought. What he had right now would probably only last about two days, and then he'd have to take another trip into town to buy even more. He didn't mind all that much though, but he was starting to wish that he had brought someone with to help him. Risai wasn't doing anything, so he probably could have asked her to come with. He wasn't exactly sure why he hadn't. She had said she was a bit tired, so he hadn't pushed the situation any.

Leon was just now approaching the center square of the city, getting into the area where a lot of small street venders worked, when he heard what sounded like a street stand collapsing. His attention was quickly drawn towards a crowd that had gathered. They were standing around, watching a current situation play itself out. Leon wasn't quite sure just what was going on, but it was easy to tell who the good guy was in this scene. On one side stood a group of men, a local gang he had heard a bit about. They would occasionally rough someone up on their way through the streets. The police had yet to do anything about them. However, it wasn't their group that was getting the brunt of the attention. Most of it was focused on a man that stood on the other side.

Leon could already tell that this guy wasn't normal. The way he stood gave that away. His hands were tucked in his pockets casually, but he stood rather straight, as if he had once been a soldier. There was a cross between a scowl and signs of boredom on his face. However, he was obviously serious about whatever it was he was doing. Behind him stood a woman and her child, people who had obviously been abused by this gang on the other side of the area. This would definitely be interesting to watch. After all, the members of the gang were at least twice as big as this one man was. However, something told Leon that this boy clad in black and blue wasn't to be taken lightly. His cerulean eyes held a certain self confidence that wasn't found in most people. However, he knew he had seen eyes like that before. They were rather familiar, a very clear shade of blue.

"Get outta the way," snarled one of the gang members, most likely their leader. "We aint got time to waste on you."

"Funny," began the man, an amused smirk on his face. "That's usually my line."

"Just who the hell are you?" asked another man.

"Rainer," he answered. "But that doesn't really matter. My name's not too important anymore."

"Just move, or we'll make you!" Rainer just laughed a bit and stood proudly, that cocky smirk still on his face.

"Go ahead and try," he told them. "We'll see how far you get."

Leon was really wishing he could hear what they were saying. Whatever this blue haired man had said had obviously been some kind of insult, because the members of the gang began charging towards him. How was this one guy supposed to handle all five of them? Sure, he had a noble reason what with protecting a mother and child, but was he insane? Or maybe he really was stronger than all of them. It was hard to tell. He seemed so confident.

As the first man swung a punch at Rainer's head, he ducked, avoiding the fist by a mere centimeter. He then spun and sent a kick into the man's side, sending him down to the concrete of the street. As the other four men charged him, he lowered into a fighting stance, probably deciding to take this seriously. He couldn't risk letting the people in the crowd get hurt, so he had to take care of this as fast as he could. However, he was unaware that some of the gang members were currently moving through the crowd, trying to get around behind him.

Leon pushed and shoved his way towards the front of the crowd, wanting to see exactly what was going on. He wasn't usually interested in simple street brawls, but something about this man seemed familiar. As he watched him fight, he couldn't help but feel that he had seen that style before. Not to mention that the clothing this man was wearing was highly similar to what the agents used to wear. _The way he fights, his style…it's like Risai's._ He watched as Rainer beat down a few more men, still unaware of the three that were moving in from behind. The crowd seemed to be unaware as well. That or they just didn't want to warn him. Maybe they were too scared, but the men had now made their way behind him, and he hadn't noticed yet.

"Behind you!" called Leon, catching Rainer's attention. The agent quickly spun around and delivered a hard kick to one of the men. As he was sent flying backwards, Rainer quickly dealt with the other two, dodging punches and kicks from them both. Leon just sighed, happy to see that he had helped this man. After all, he was fighting for a noble cause.

As soon as all of the men were taken care of, Rainer heaved a deep sigh, happy to finally be done with the gang. _Man, that shouldn't have taken so long. Guess I'm a bit rusty, but I suppose that happens when you're asleep for a hundred years._ He quickly turned towards the mother and daughter he had just saved. He flashed them both a charming smile as they stood up.

"Thank you," said the mother. Rainer just gave them a large, somewhat goofy grin.

"Aw, it was nothing," he responded. "I was happy to help." The woman just thanked him again and then left with the dispersing crowd. Rainer just smiled more and began glancing around. He had someone to thank, and his eyes quickly found Leon. He was just starting to leave.

"Hey, thanks," he called out, stopping Leon in his tracks. "Guess I wasn't paying close enough attention."

"No problem," Leon responded, and in reality, it really had been nothing. He had just given a warning.

"Still, I appreciate the help. No one else would've said anything." Rainer just gave him a smile, but it quickly fell a bit. He stared at Leon curiously. "Strange, you look kinda familiar." Leon just stared at him a bit blankly. He was pretty sure he had never met this man before. He would remember someone with a hair style like that. "Oh well, doesn't matter. Thanks again!" And with that said, Rainer began walking away, disappearing in the sea of people.

Leon just stood there for a moment before turning around and leaving, heading back towards his car so he could get back to the base. He had already been gone too long for just running errands. However, he was happy he had stopped. It felt good to help people out. However, there was something about that man that caught his interest. He had been dressed like an agent, and his eyes were almost the same as Risai's, and then that fighting style…however, Toran was the only agent left, and that man hadn't been Toran. Hopefully Taban and Miharu had found something out about their old adversary. They had to take care of him before he got his hands on his zoid. After all, an agent piloting an ultimate X wasn't a good thing, and he was probably stronger than ever. Being in prison could do that.

Leon decided to just stop thinking for a while, realizing that it wasn't going to get him anywhere. It was stupid to worry about something that could possibly never happen. He had a lot more to focus on right now, like his team's upcoming battle. Hopefully they'd be ready. They couldn't afford to lose any battles. After all, if they lost a simple zoid battle, then how would they ever be able to stand up to Toran?

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Rainer opened the door to his current residence, a place he would probably eventually call home. It's not like he had anywhere else to go right now. He was currently hoping that his "roommate" wasn't home, because he really didn't need to be seen in such a depressed state. He went over and flopped down on the couch, heaving a deep sigh. One hundred years had really changed a lot of things. He had been hoping that the agents would have at least stayed the same, but he had been wrong. Now he felt like a huge idiot for going to see Risai. He would leave her alone now, however. He would have to. She had a new life, one free from the ZBC. She had no more attachments to her past life. To her, he was dead, and he probably always would be.

"Hey," greeted a low voice, one that emanated from the doorway to the kitchen. Rainer lifted his head and met the face of his roommate. There was a smirk on the man's face. "So, how'd it go?"

"The address was right," began Rainer. "I found her, but…"

"But what? Wasn't she happy to see you?" Rainer just laughed a bit.

"I wish," he responded as he sat up, sighing yet again. "She's moved on. To her, I'm dead. She has friends, a team, and even a boyfriend. There's no room in her life for me."

"But she's an agent," began his friend. "There's rules…"

"Not anymore," began Rainer sadly, his eyes slowly sinking to the tan carpeted floor. "Risai, Taban, Miharu…they're not agents anymore. They were changed back."

"How…?"

"Rose had a machine that did it. I guess that means that she's not an agent anymore either." His roommate didn't say anything. He just stared at Rainer, still in slight awe from what he had heard. _Not agents? Rose's machine? Does that mean…damn…so she failed. I should've known better than to leave her in charge._

"I guess," began Rainer as he ran a hand through his spiked hair, "it's just you and me now. We're the only ones left…" He raised his head and smiled a bit, but it was obvious that it was forced. "Just you and me…right…Toran?"

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Well, that's all for now. Merry Christmas, happy holidays! (I wish you all a happy holiday, whatever you may celebrate. May your celebrations be cheerful. I'll try to update again soon, okay? Until then, I'll be seeing ya! (and incase you wanna know a bit more about the agents, I do have a prequel up. It's called Uncivil War, incase you're interested.)

Bye for now!


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